Fetal ECG and heart rate assessment and monitoring device

Abstract

A system for the assessment and monitoring of the fetal electrocardiogram (ECG) and heart rate in a pregnant mother comprises wearable mechanical-electronic sensors, e.g., embedded in a wrist or arm band, which can measure the mechanical pulse signals from the mother, and an abdomen patch which can measure the combined ECG signals of the fetus and mother. The wrist or arm unit and the abdominal patch unit communicate wirelessly. By signal processing and gating out the maternal ECG signals as correlated with the mechanical maternal pulse signals, the fetal ECG and heart rate can be measured and monitored. These measurements may be displayed on the wrist or arm band device, or wirelessly through a remote device, mobile phone or computer. Electronic-mechanical sensors can also be embedded in the abdominal patch to measure uterine electromyogram (EMG), uterine contractions and fetal movements, to be correlated with the fetal ECG.

Description

BACKGROUND[0001]Fetal heart rate and patterns of such can reflect the wellbeing of the fetus. There usually is an increase in fetal heart rate associated with fetal movements, and physicians have been using this association, as well as the fetal heart rate variability, to assess the wellbeing of the fetus through a test called non-stress test. Fetal heart rate responds to stress caused by uterine contractions and other factors during labor.[0002]Intrapartum electronic fetal monitoring is based on the study of the fetal heart rate patterns. Clinicians also study the fetal heart rate response to induced uterine contractions during a contraction stress test to assess fetal wellbeing. Most of the fetal heart rate monitoring is done using non-invasive sound wave based devices on the maternal abdomen, which can have difficulties in capturing fetal heart rate during uterine contractions and maternal movements. A fetal scalp electrode to capture fetal electrocardiogram (ECG) can only be app...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005]The present disclosure describes a novel way to utilize the signals of the maternal mechanical pulse waves, which are generated only by the cardiac contracting of the mother, to synthesize a maternal ECG, enabling the removal of the maternal ECG from the mixed maternal and fetal ECG signals captured on the abdominal skin surface, to derive the fetal ECG signals and, as desired, the fetal heart rate.

Problems solved by technology

The effectiveness of such methods has not been promising enough to result in marketable products for measuring fetal ECG and fetal heartrate.

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